Whiffletree.



T. F. GREGORY.

WHIFFLETREE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 25, 1914.

1,154,246. Patented Sept. 21, 1915.

- "ma n sra'r s, are

THOMAS F. GREGORY, OF HENNING', TENNESSEE, ASSIGNOR TO WILLIAM B. CAR-SON,

FTQ

OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

WHIFFLETEEE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 21, 1915.

Applioation'filed May 25,1914. Serial No. 840,658.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that T, TrioMAs F. Gnnconr, a citizen oi the United States, and a resident of Henning, in the county of Lauderdale and State of Tennessee, have invented a new and useful Improvement in .Vhifiletrees, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in whifiletrees, such as swingle-trees, doubletrees, four-horse eveners, breast and neck yokes, and the like.

The invention consists in the detail construction of metal parts for Whittle-trees, and is an improvement on the wl'iilile-tree shown and described in my Patent No. 1,020,196, dated March 12, 1912.

The objects of this invention are to attain great strength and durability in a whittletree of light weight.

Further objects of the invention appear in connection with the following description of the embodiment thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, wherein the same reference characters designate like parts in the several views, Figure 1 is a side view of a whiflle-tree embodying the invention; Figs. 2 and 3 are respectively front and back views of the same; Fig. l is a cross-section of one end of the whiflle-tree on the line 1i in Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig.- 5 is'a longitudinal section of the same on the line 5 5 in Fig. 3; and Fig. (5 is a perspective view of an end clip.

The whilile-tree shown in the drawings consists of two principal members, a metal yoke 11 and a wood stretcher or spreader bar 12. The yoke is a round rod having a twisted loop 13 at its middle forming an eye by means of which the whiille-tree may be hooked to a chain, double-tree, or other device. 'The twisted portions 1% of the loop 13 are spaced apart slightly, so that under a sudden pull upon the wnitlle-tree there will be some give to the yoke to relieve the mo mental-y excessive stress.

The end portions 15 of the yoke are bent around the ends of the spreader bar, and metal clips 16 are slipped between the bent portions of the yoke and the ends of the spreader bar. The clips fit around the ends of the spreader bar to embrace its sides and hold the clips in place. Metal plates 17 are screwed to the end portions of the spreader bar on its side opposite the yoke, and these plates project beyond the ends of the spreader bar and have holes through them'through which the end portions of the yoke pass. The extremities of the yoke ends are shaped to form loopshaped safety hooks 18 for the traces or other devices for attaching the whiilie-tree to the harness. The yoke ends are bent or oflset outwardly next to the plates 17 on the side thereof toward the hooked extremities 18 of the yoke to form shoulders 19. The portions 15 of the yoke which pass around the ends of the spreader bar fit in notches 20 in the sides of the bar opposite the plates 17, and these notches 20 and the plates 17 securely position the ends of the yokes with respect to the ends of the stretcher bar. The kinks or shoulders 19 near the extremities of the yoke bear against the plates 17 and prevent the plates and ends of the spreader bar from slipping off the yoke. WVhen a hard pull comes on the whifiletree, these shoulders prevent the end portions of the yoke from pulling around the ends of the spreader bar. The clips 16 protect the ends of the spreader bar, and prevent the yoke from grooving into the corners of the spreader bar at the ends of the notches 20.

It is evident that modifications may be made in the shape and relative proportions of the parts of the device shown in the drawings, and that other forms of trace hooks or eyes may be substituted for those shown in the drawings, without departing from the invention; and the invention is not limited to the particular construction shown and described.

\Vhat I claim is:

1. In a whiflie-tree com n-ising a spreader bar and a metal yoke arranged alongside thereof with its ends bearing against and passing around the ends of said spreader bar, end plates secured to the end portions of the spreader bar on the side opposite said yoke, the outer ends of said plates extending beyond the ends of said spreader bar and embracing the ends of said yoke, and the ends of said yoke being offset laterally to form kinks bearing against said plates and terminating in attaching means for a harness.

2. In a Whittle-tree comprising a spreader bar having notched ends, and a metal yoke arranged with its ends passing around the bearing against said plates and terminating ends of said spreader bar and fitting in said in attaching means for a harness. 13 notches, end plates secured to the end por- Signed at Henning, Tennessee, this 19th tions of the spreader bar: 011 the side oppoday of May, 1914.

1 site said yoke, the outer ends of said plates THUS. F. GREGORY. extending beyond the ends of said spreader Witnesses: bar and embracing the ends of said yoke; WILLIS ALSTON', Jr., and the ends of said yoke having kinks W. T. BARFIELD.

Copies of this patent maybe obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

